Vending machine



y 5, 1933- R. R. WESTFALL 2,122,663

VENDING MACHINE I Filed Feb. 4, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l Arm NEYS Patented July 5, 1938 PATENT OFFICE VENDING MACHINE Ralph R. Westfall, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Robert A. Officer, Los Angeles, (J'alif.

ApplicationFebruary 4, 1937, Serial No. 123,997

12 Claims.

This invention relates generally to coin-controlled vending machines, and more particularly to mechanisms for protecting such machines against fraudulent operation and dispensing of merchandise.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, substantial and positively acting mechanism for a coin-controlled vending machine by which a coin, check, token or slug having certain structural characteristics rendering it spurious for use in the machine will be rejected in a manner to insure that such a piece cannot be utilized for dispensing merchandise from the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the above described character which is preferably associated with a coin carrier and is so structurally characterized that should a slug or coin which is rendered spurious by its having an opening therethrough, be deposited in the carrier, such slug or coin will be caused to move or shift relatively to the carrier out of operative relationship to the articles in a magazine, thereby rendering the slug or coin incapable of being used to dispense an article from the magazine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which in its association with a coin carrier renders the final portion of the movement thereof in dispensing an article automatic and independent of a manually operable actuator by which the carrier is initially moved following the insertion of a proper coin, so that the operator will be prevented from fraudulently manipulating the actuator in an effort to cheat the machine.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of elements as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a view of the vending machine embodying this invention, with the front of the easing removed;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and illustrating the normal or initial position of the coin carrier;

' Figure 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 2, but showing the coin carrier in an intermediate position;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the coin carrier in a final position;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the invention in its present embodiment is shown associated with a vending machine comprising a generally rectangular casing composed of a body section I 0 and a removable front cover section I I adapted to be locked to the body section in any suitable manner. A magazine I2 is vertically supported in the body section ID to contain articles A in stack formation with the lowermost article resting upon a platform l3 spanning the lower end of the magazine, and adapted to be discharged from the platform into a chute l4 delivering the article to the front of the casing for removal from the chute through an opening l5 in the cover section II.

The cover section I! is provided with a coin slot f6 (Figure 2) from which a coin is adapted to be deposited into a coin chute I? fixed to a vertical supporting plate l8 disposed in front of the magazine 12. From the coin chute I! the coin is adapted to gravitate into a coin carrier designated generally at C.

The coin carrier C comprises a hollow shaft 19 journaled in the side walls 2l2!l of the body section H) by means of a headed pin 29a extending through one side wall 23 into the corresponding end of the shaft, and by means of a stub shaft 2| having an exposed actuating knob 22 secured thereto, the shaft extending through the other side wall 2i] into the corresponding end of the shaft IS. The shaft i9 is provided adjacent one end with an arcuate slot 23; and a cotter pin 24 extends through the slot to provide a lost motion operative connection between the actuating knob 22 and the shaft IQ for a purpose to be later described. To the other and shouldered end of the shaft [9 a four-toothed member 25 (Figure 6) is fixed; and with the teeth 26 of this member, a spring 21 fixed to the plate if! is adapted to coact in releasably retaining the shaft in any one of four equally spaced positions circumferentially.

Fixed to the shaft l9 at spaced points and beyond opposite sides of the coin chute ll are square plates Zla rigidly secured together at their corners by cross bars 28, each of which has one edge bent laterally intermediate the ends of the bars to form a flange 29. The flange defines one side Wall of a coin receiving recess or pocket 30, the length of which is such that the periphery of a coin is adapted to rest against the end edges 36-36 of the recess and be thus suspended in the carrier in a vertical position for the upper portion of the coin to engage the lowermost article A in the magazine I2 as the carrier is rotated in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 2.

Projecting from each bar 28 intermediate its ends is a finger 31 constituting an abutment for a coin and forming the other side wall of the recess. The free end of the finger is disposed to abut a deposited coin approximately centrally thereof so that as the carrier is rotated from the normal or initial position shown in Figure 2 the coin will be advanced accordingly and will engage and push the lowermost article from the magazine into the chute l4 when the carrier has been rotated to the position shown in Figure 41. It is to be noted that as in the present instance four coin recesses are provided at equally spaced points in the carrier, the angular movement of the carrier to complete one operation is ninety degrees, and that the spring 2'! co-acts with each tooth 26 of the member 25 in successive order to releasably retain the carrier in a position wherein one of the recesses will be disposed directly beneath the coin chute ll so as to vertically receive a coin deposited therein.

However, should a slug or spurious coin of the type having a central opening therethrough, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, be deposited into the coin chute, the free end of the abutment forming finger 3'? will be incapable of advancing the coin or slug once the upper portion thereof has engaged the lowermost article in the magazine, as the coin or slug will then be tilted and shifted by the lowermost article laterally from the suspending edges 36-36 of the recess so as to gravitate onto the finger as shown in the intermediate position of the carrier in Figure 3.. The slug or spurious coin will thus have been moved nearer the center of the carrier and out of operative relationship with the articles in the magazine so as to be ineffective in dispensing an article. As the carrier is further advanced by successive operations, a coin previously used to dispense an article, or a spurious coin on one of the fingers 31, as the case may be, will gravitate from the recess or finger into a coin box 353 supported below the carrier by a partition 39.

Co-acting with the teeth 26 of the member 25 is a pawl it (Figure 6) pivoted at M on one of g the side walls 20, and normally urged by a spring 42 to engage the teeth. In the normal position of the carrier, shown in Figure 2, a notch 43 in the pawl 48 is disposed for engagement by one of the teeth 26 should an attempt be made to effect retrograde movement of the carrier. In the intermediate position of the carrier shown in Figure 3, the extremity of the pawl engages one of the teeth 26 of the member 25 to also prevent retrograde movement from this position. It is to be noted that when the carrier has been advanced by the actuating knob 22 to a point just beyond the intermediate position the relationship of the spring 2'! to one of the teeth 26 is such as to permit the spring to suddenly advance the carrier to its final position shown -in Figure 4 and wherein the lowermost article in the magazine will have been dispensed. The lost motion operative connection provided by the co-acting slot 23 and pin 24 renders the spring 21 free to function in this manner so that this final portion of the movement of the carrier to complete one operation is effected automatically and independently of the actuating knob, thereby precluding fraudulent manipulation of the carrier by an operator utilizing the knob in an effort to cheat the machine.

It will be manifest that although the carrier C is shown with provision for four coin recesses, and the member 25 with a corresponding num ber of teeth 26, thus necessitating a ninety degree movement of the carrier to complete a single operation, that a greater or lesser number of recesses can be provided in accordance with the diameter of the carrier and the character and size of the articles to be vended. Furthermore, each of the fingers 31 is to be broadly construed as a means which co-acts with a slug or spurious coin having an opening therethrough, to render such slug or coin incapable of use in dispensing an article by causing the slug or coin to be shifted from its normal operating position in the carrier, out of operative relationship with the articles as the carrier is advanced.

What is claimed is:

1. In a coin-controlled vending machine, an article magazine; and a uni-directional rotatably mounted carrier having means for supporting a coin to engage and discharge an article from the magazine in response to rotation of the carrier; said means including a finger forming an abutment to advance a coin into engagement with an article in the magazine as the carrier is rotated, and onto which a slug or coin having an opening therethrough is caused to be shifted and to gravitate along the finger so as to be carried thereby out of operative relation to the article following engagement thereof by the slug or coin during rotation of the carrier, the slug or coin being free to gravitate from the free end of the finger when the latter assumes a predetermined position during continued uni-directional rotation of the carrier.

2. In a coin-controlled vending machine, an

article magazine; a rotary coin carrier for sup-,

porting a coin to discharge an article from the magazine in response to rotation of the carrier from one position to another; a manually operable actuator having a lost motion operative connection with said carrier for rotating the latter; and means for accelerating the motion of the carrier to the second mentioned position independently of said actuator and following partial completion of the movement of the carrier by the actuator, whereby to preclude fraudulent manipulation of the carrier by utilizing the actuator.

3. In a coin-controlled vending machine, an article magazine; a rotary coin carrier for supporting a coin to discharge an article from the magazine in response to rotation of the carrier from one position to another; a manually operable actuator having a lost motion operative connection with said carrier for rotating the latter; and means for moving the carrier to the second mentioned position independently of the actuator, when the carrier has been advanced by the actuator to a predetermined intermediate position, so that the remaining movement of the carrier to its second mentioned position will be free of the control of the operator.

4. In a coin-controlled vending machine, an article magazine; a rotary coin carrier for supporting a coin to discharge an article from the magazine in response to rotation of the carrier from one position to another; a manually operable actuator having a lost motion operative connection with said carrier for rotating the latter; a toothed member rotatable with the carrier; and a spring co-acting with said member and said lost motion operative connection to move the carrier to the second mentioned position independently of the actuator, when the carrier has been advanced thereby to a predetermined intermediate position.

5. In a coin-controlled vending machine, an article magazine; a rotary coin carrier for supporting a coin to discharge an article from the magazine in response to rotation of the carrier from one position to another; a manually operable actuator having a lost motion operative connection with said carrier for rotating the latter; means for moving the carrier to the second mentioned position independently of the actuator, when the carrier has been advanced by the actuator to a predetermined intermediate position, so that the remaining movement of the carrier to its second mentioned position will be free of the control of the operator; and means for preventing retrograde movement of the carrier by the actuator when the carrier has been advanced to said intermediate position.

6. In a coin-controlled vending machine, an article magazine; a rotary coin carrier for supporting a coin to discharge an article from the magazine in response to rotation of the carrier from one position to another; a manually operable actuator having a lost motion operative connection with said carrier for rotating the latter; a toothed member rotatable with the carrier; a spring co-acting with said member and said lost motion operative connection to move the carrier to the second mentioned position independently of the actuator, when the carrier has been ad vanced thereby to a predetermined intermediate position; and a spring pressed pawl co-acting with said member to prevent retrograde movement of the carrier by the actuator when the carrier has been advanced to said intermediate position.

7. In a coin-controlled vending machine, an article magazine; a rotary coin carrier for supporting a coin to discharge an article from the magazine in response to rotation of the carrier from one position to another; a manually operable actuator having a lost motion operative connection with said carrier for rotating the latter; means for moving the carrier to the second mentioned position independently of the actuator, when the carrier has been advanced by the actuator to a predetermined intermediate position, so that the remaining movement of the carrier to its second mentioned position will be free of the control of the operator; a toothed member rotatable with the carrier; and a spring pressed pawl co-acting with one tooth of said member to prevent retrograde movement of the carrier by the actuator when the carrier has been advanced to said intermediate position, and co-actin'gv with another tooth of said member to prevent retrograde movement of the carrier by the actuator from the second mentioned position.

8. In a coin-controlled vending machine, an article magazine; movable means for supporting a coin in a position to form an operative connection between said means and an article in the magazine for the discharge of the article in response to movement of said means; a manually operable actuator for said means; and means correlated with the first means and with said actuator, for effecting movement of the first means from an intermediate position to a final position independently of the actuator, in order to prevent an operator from utilizing said actuator to fraudulently manipulate the first means.

9. In a coin controlled vending machine, an article magazine; and a rotatably mounted carrier having means for supporting a coin to engage and discharge an article from the magazine in response to rotation of the carrier; said means including a plurality of fingers spaced circumferentially on the carrier with adjacent fingers angularly related and spaced for coaction of the free end portion of one finger with the base portion of an adjacent finger in defining a coin receiving recess; each finger forming an abutment to advance a coin into discharging engagement with an article in the magazine as the carrier is rotated, and onto which a coin having an opening therethrough is caused to be shifted out of operative relation to the article. i

10. In a coin controlled vending machine, an article magazine; and a rotatably mounted carrier having means for supporting a coin to engage and discharge an article from the magazine in response to rotation of the carrier; said means including a plurality of fingers spaced circumferentially on the carrier and having flanged cross bars co-acting with the free end portion of the adjacent finger in defining a coin receiving recess; each finger forming an abutment to ad- Vance a coin into discharging engagement with an article in the magazine as the carrier is rotated, and onto which a coin having an opening therethrough is caused to be shifted out of operative relation to the article.

11. In a coin-controlled vending machine, an article magazine; and a coin carrier comprising a rotatably mounted shaft transversely; plates fixed to the shaft transversely in spaced relationship; cross bars disposed longitudinally of the shaft and spanning and secured to the plates; fingers projecting from the cross bars intermediate the plates, and being disposed transversely of said shaft; the free end portion of each finger co-acting with an adjacent cross bar to define a coin receiving recess; and means for supporting a coin in each recess.

12. In a coin-controlled vending machine, an article magazine; a coin carrier comprising a rotatably mounted shaft transversely; plates fixed to the shaft transversely in spaced relationship; cross bars disposed longitudinally of the shaft and spanning and secured to the plates; and fingers projecting from the cross bars intermediate the plates, and being disposed transversely of said shaft; the cross bars being recessed to receive a coin and to co-act with an adjacent finger in supporting the coin in operative relationship to an article in the magazine.

RALPH R. WES'I'FAIL. 

